Are you writing a scene in your novel that involves a knife? There are many words you can use to describe such a sharp object. In this post, we look a how to describe a knife in a story.
1. Razor-sharp
Definition
So sharp that it could cut as easily as a razor.
Examples
“The intruder held the razor-sharp knife to her throat and warned her not to make a sound.”
“I watched in awe as he used the razor-sharp knife to slice a piece of paper clean in half.”
How it Adds Description
If you’re using a knife as a weapon in your story, you should highlight how sharp it is to show how much danger your characters are in. Describing your knife as razor-sharp shows that the slightest bit of pressure on this knife will cut deeply. This creates tension for the reader and helps them become invested in the outcome of the scene.
2. Jeweled
Definition
Decorated with jewels.
Examples
“She was fascinated by the jeweled knife in the display case.”
“He spent way too much money at the auction buying that jeweled knife.”
How it Adds Description
Not all knives are made for cutting or hurting things. Some knives are designed simply as decorative art pieces. Using jeweled helps the reader imagine such an elaborately designed knife and what kind of precious jewels it might include and where.
3. Broad
Definition
With a wide span or large space between sides.
Examples
“He pulled the broad knife from his side holster and held it to the teenager’s face. ‘Now, this is a knife.’”
“There wasn’t a place on the butcher’s block for such a broad knife, so where did it come from?”
How it Adds Description
When you say the word knife, most people imagine a slender knife, like a steak knife or pocketknife. Describing the knife as broad shows that the blade is much wider than that and can do a bit more damage, such as a butcher’s knife or a machete.
4. Combat
Definition
Created for war or fighting.
Examples
“I could not believe he had a combat knife under his pillow. Who did he expect to be coming into his home?!”
“Luckily, she had a hefty and sharp combat knife to cut through the bamboo she was using to build her shelter.”
How it Adds Description
Are you writing a war story or one in which your character uses military training or tactics? Then you definitely want to describe the knife as a combat knife to emphasize how your character will be using it in the story. Because combat knives often have the same look, readers familiar with them will immediately picture a long, thick blade, with two large jagged edges and sometimes a whole or two near the base.
5. Multipurpose
Definition
Having multiple purposes or objectives.
Examples
“I freaked out when I realized I had lost the multipurpose knife my dad gave me; it had been passed down from father to son for three generations.”
“Everybody knows that the Swiss Army knife is the best multipurpose knife out there.”
How it Adds Description
If you are describing a pocketknife in your story, you could always go the multipurpose, Swiss Army knife route. Multipurpose pocketknives are those that include more than a blade; they usually have tabs for a nail file, corkscrew, tweezers, and bottle opener, as well. This is an especially useful way to describe a knife if your characters are camping or traveling through untamed terrain.
6. Ceremonial
Definition
- Created for use in a ceremony or ritualistic act.
- Having no practical or determined use.
Examples
“Inside the tomb, he discovered the ancient ceremonial knife buried with the pharaoh’s mummy.”
“The family’s ceremonial knife was passed from mother to daughter after her wedding day, to be worn around the neck as a symbol of her preparation for whatever might come her way.”
How it Adds Description
Some knives are created simply as props in a ritual and, as such, have a distinctive look about them. If you want to stress that the knife in your story isn’t used for cooking or hurting others, then use ceremonial so your reader can imagine a decorative knife with special meaning attached to it.
7. Surgical
Definition
- For use in the act of surgery or medical procedures.
- With precision and focus.
Examples
“She used the surgical knife to cut open a tiny hole in the wrapping, just large enough to breathe through.”
“The wounds looked like they were cut were a surgical knife: small and with expert precision.”
How it Adds Description
A surgical knife doesn’t necessarily mean a scalpel; it could also be used to describe a knife used for a precise purpose. Surgical is a useful descriptor if you want to show the character using the knife meticulously, especially if it’s for more macabre and murderous means.
8. Lethal
Definition
- Related to or causing death.
- Powerful or efficient.
- Highly detrimental or harmful.
Examples
“Even the smallest knife is lethal in the right hands.”
“He stabbed the lethal knife five, six times before he realized he could stop.”
How it Adds Description
Lethal automatically equals deadly in the mind of a reader. Describing a knife as lethal suggests that it either has or will be used to kill someone or something, leaving the reader with no doubt that the knife has been used as a weapon in your story (rather than for cooking or ceremony).
9. Bloodied
Definition
- Containing or tainted with blood or blood splatter.
- Damaging, harmful.
Examples
“She grimaced as she pulled a bloodied knife out of the chopping block.”
“The bloodied knife dripped the blood of its most recent victim onto the floor.”
How it Adds Description
Visual imagery is always a good way of getting your reader to imagine important objects in a story. Using bloodied to describe what the knife looks like allows your reader to not only visualize how it looks, but also consider the reason it’s been bloodied in the first place. Was it involved in a murder? Or was it used for hunting or cooking?
10. Serrated
Definition
Having a jagged or pointy edge.
Examples
“She always wondered why the serrated knife was the best for bread instead of the butcher’s knife.”
“‘Don’t take it out!’ He pleaded with at her. ‘The serrated knife will cause more damage on the way out than it did going in, and I’ll die within minutes.’”
How it Adds Description
Serrated is a great word to describe a type of knife as everyone can picture the same type of blade: usually a long blade with lots of jagged teeth along the edge rather than a smooth edge. If your character needs a really dangerous knife or one that will leave a lot of damage, describe it as serrated because it’s one of the most lethal blades (especially when pulled back out of the wound).